I hang out at several boards (this is the only music-related one), and participation at all of them seems to ebb and flow over time. The only difference I see between the more active ones and this one is that it's relatively polite here. I like that.

There's only so much one can say about our favorite style of music before it gets redundant. Other than specific new releases, just about any topic or observation can be found to already exist if one uses the search function. Truly original topics get a flurry of activity, then fade out, which suggests to me that the actual audience of unique visitors is small. I wonder if the total number of hits you're seeing, Mike, doesn't include a large percentage of bots? Any way to know?

Oh, and nudity, more nudity. Can't go wrong with more nudity.

Logged

I wish I was a Glowworm; a Glowworm's never glum. 'Cause how can you be grumpy, when the sun shines out your bum?

I come by a few times a week. I don't post too much because I'm a mere listener, not a musician. But I get pointed towards a lot of good music and several interesting podcasts. (In fact, I was just on my way to say thanks for one!)

This isn't supposed to be a board just for music-makers, though I think one of the strengths of this forum is that lots of artists and labels and DJs and reviewers come here. I hope listeners and enthusiasts never feel their posts are less welcome or less valued, just because they don't make music (or sell it, play it on the radio, or review it)

I think I might appreciate comments, opinions and discussion from the forum's non-musicians even more (as musicians here tend to be extra polite and supportive of peers) except for some technical discussions - though even then, non-musicians can be wonderfully obsessive and knowledgeable about pre-amp quality, headphones, speakers, wires etc...

matthew

I think there is a natural ebb-and-flow in the way ambient music (or music styles in general) are perceived and at times the "genre" as a whole is a bit more stale than at other times. I'll admit that my presence (and postings) here have often been for self-promotion and I don't always feel great about that. But I also don't always feel that I have something to add to a discussion. There's the whole question if it's good for an artist to be part of such forums anyway.

Perhaps ambient music isn't really so much a topic for discussion when it's becoming predictable? As stated before, you need a few people that are into it from an in-between artist and "appreciators" perspective, perhaps somehow more "fans" need to find their way here to even the balance (the kind of promotion I could do now).

If you make changes, I'd say do it from the current point of view. I would be interested in one stream of the forum that excludes all forms of self promotion and is completely reserved to discussion that is non predictable. No lists, no best of, no currently listening only "original" thoughts, views and ideas. Perhaps even implement a form of voting system that lets the boards vote and thus move away posts that are not suited for that forum. It will have little topics, but probably more involved discussion.

Lists and such, though nice and inviting, usually don't amount to discussions. They are a great "quick" way to participate but I feel about them a bit like I feel about an email versus a p.m. It's not better or worse but usually ends up being less involved. Self promotion contained in one threat (or now often overlaps between two) would be really nice if it had ability to playback tracks (much like facebook will convert a linked mp3 file to an in-page player) and perhaps even a way to "like" or award a score to these tracks. It could even enable a presentation of most liked, new tracks, monthly liked etc. I'd welcome such a hypnos moderated high quality ambient playlist : ) Though offering a lot of music could (and probably will) cannibalize the primary function of Hypnos, which is of being a music label.

Yes, I too feel its a bit quiet around here as of late to (apart from the usual self-promotion). I don't really know what to suggest. I recently posted here regarding a gear related issue and surprisingly (considering the number of gear-heads there are here) there weren't any replies.

The means to embed music players would be pretty cool, but on one hand, I quite like the 'text only' element to this here forum.

Perhaps everyone has said their bit (temporarily) and a lot of topics have been discussed at length in the past (particularly on the old forum) ? Some of the listings here aren't really what attracts me here - each to their own.

A contentious post is a sure fire way to spark some life here, but that's ill advised

In the last 10 years I've definitely noticed a feeling that it's less fun to visit here. Replies to posts are much smaller and "die out" sooner. I try to check in twice a day if I can. Often it's disappointing there's nothing new all day or even for a stretch of days. There was a time when I could be pretty much kept up to date on all the major new releases by coming here. Now there's little to no mention/discussion of releases on such labels as 12k, Infraction, Cyclic Law, Fax, Mystery Sea, Ultimae,...are people just not buying new music any more? Yet there's more and more promotional postings by artists and labels I've never heard of and probably wouldn't even be interested in. And those posters usually don't contribute any comments to this forum.

If only "Lisa Franklyne" were here, all would be right with the world again...

I wanted to thank those who mentioned missing me. It's nice to be missed, honestly.

I canceled my Hypnos account a while back and only sparsely lurked here for a long time because, frankly, I didn't think I had much to offer any more. I had more or less suspended reviewing ambient music because the demands on my time reviewing "new age" and world fusion music for New Age Retailer and Zone Music Reporter, combined with my "real life," made me feel like an impostor of sorts. Also, I have been sucked into Facebook and spend (too much) time there. But, as some of you who follow me there know, I am contemplating bringing Wind and Wire back from the dead...in its original format, i.e. covering all kinds of music. I don't have anything definite to state except that I have many MANY older (2007, 2008, 2009) ambient CDs to review still and I still get the occasional ambient CD too (I have reviewed recent releases by Roach and some others for New Age Retailer). I have struggled with finding time for life AND reviewing over the last two years but whenever I do play an ambient CD, I realize I still love the genre. However, I admit to being hopelessly out of the loop (although Marlene was nice enough to have Richard Bone send me his latest).

Anyway, as to the vagaries of this board, hey, at least it's not as bad as ambient@hyperreal, which has REALLY dried up! I do think that with Jim's passing, some of the spirit of this board evaporated. Jim could always be counted on to comment and stir things up. I don't want to pass judgement on or make any statements about the amount of self-promotion on this board...that's better left to others. I do feel that this is more of an artists' hangout than it ever has been, but there's nothing wrong with that. I also think that, as time went on, and as some (not all) arguments descended into some less than savory conduct, civility took hold a little too strictly. Constriction, strictly IMO, tends to stunt growth. Better divisiveness that leads to critical thinking than the group-think that stifles dissent..or something like that! Or maybe I am just channeling "V." (for Vendetta).

Anyway, as I plod my way through the second half of my "50s" (being 56 now), I have mellowed to the point that long-timers probably wouldn't know it was me, except for my trademark verbosity and redundancy!

If I feel I can contribute to something being discussed, I will do my best. As for the potential for another W and W resurrection, trust me...you will all be among the first to know. Oh, and has anyone seen part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet? Kathryn and I are seeing it Thanksgiving Day. Opinions? Also, if you are a SF fan and haven't watched the trailer for "Battle: Los Angeles," yet, do so NOW (at http://apple.com.trailers) because this looks awesome!!!...as one early quote stated "It's like Black Hawk Down meets Independence Day."

Welcome back, Bill! It would certainly be a pleasant surprise to see Wind & Wire return, though I understand why you put it in on hiatus.

I don't have any complaints about the forum per se, though it would be nice to playlist postings relegated to a different section of the forum, so that they do not bump more interesting subjects of discussion. Though there have been a few instances of excessive self-promotion on the forum (eg, serial trickling of reviews by the artist, or weekly playlist postings of one's own work), I think that the artists here are by and large considerate of each other's time.

I would probably not be too crazy about turning forum this into a website overloaded with interactive code, a la My Space. If I wanted MySpace or Twitter, that's where I would be, and not here.

I wanted to thank those who mentioned missing me. It's nice to be missed, honestly.

I canceled my Hypnos account a while back and only sparsely lurked here for a long time because, frankly, I didn't think I had much to offer any more. I had more or less suspended reviewing ambient music because the demands on my time reviewing "new age" and world fusion music for New Age Retailer and Zone Music Reporter, combined with my "real life," made me feel like an impostor of sorts. Also, I have been sucked into Facebook and spend (too much) time there. But, as some of you who follow me there know, I am contemplating bringing Wind and Wire back from the dead...in its original format, i.e. covering all kinds of music. I don't have anything definite to state except that I have many MANY older (2007, 2008, 2009) ambient CDs to review still and I still get the occasional ambient CD too (I have reviewed recent releases by Roach and some others for New Age Retailer). I have struggled with finding time for life AND reviewing over the last two years but whenever I do play an ambient CD, I realize I still love the genre. However, I admit to being hopelessly out of the loop (although Marlene was nice enough to have Richard Bone send me his latest).

Anyway, as to the vagaries of this board, hey, at least it's not as bad as ambient@hyperreal, which has REALLY dried up! I do think that with Jim's passing, some of the spirit of this board evaporated. Jim could always be counted on to comment and stir things up. I don't want to pass judgement on or make any statements about the amount of self-promotion on this board...that's better left to others. I do feel that this is more of an artists' hangout than it ever has been, but there's nothing wrong with that. I also think that, as time went on, and as some (not all) arguments descended into some less than savory conduct, civility took hold a little too strictly. Constriction, strictly IMO, tends to stunt growth. Better divisiveness that leads to critical thinking than the group-think that stifles dissent..or something like that! Or maybe I am just channeling "V." (for Vendetta).

Anyway, as I plod my way through the second half of my "50s" (being 56 now), I have mellowed to the point that long-timers probably wouldn't know it was me, except for my trademark verbosity and redundancy!

If I feel I can contribute to something being discussed, I will do my best. As for the potential for another W and W resurrection, trust me...you will all be among the first to know. Oh, and has anyone seen part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet? Kathryn and I are seeing it Thanksgiving Day. Opinions? Also, if you are a SF fan and haven't watched the trailer for "Battle: Los Angeles," yet, do so NOW (at http://apple.com.trailers) because this looks awesome!!!...as one early quote stated "It's like Black Hawk Down meets Independence Day."

If I feel I can contribute to something being discussed, I will do my best. As for the potential for another W and W resurrection, trust me...you will all be among the first to know. Oh, and has anyone seen part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet? Kathryn and I are seeing it Thanksgiving Day. Opinions? Also, if you are a SF fan and haven't watched the trailer for "Battle: Los Angeles," yet, do so NOW (at http://apple.com.trailers) because this looks awesome!!!...as one early quote stated "It's like Black Hawk Down meets Independence Day."

Bill, the word so far seems to be very positive on HP (I've not read any of the books, but my brother is planning on seeing it during Thanksgiving as well), so I think you will enjoy it. Battle: Los Angeles looked interesting if only because the trailer wasn't peppered with what I call the 'slamming car door' effect every three seconds. I'll reserve judgement for now.

Oh, and someone go start a new topic about the new Harry Potter flick... which I do want to see, BTW, and I know Lena will too.

Back to the subject at hand, I don't have a huge problem with the forum going through ebbs and flows. I don't think the place is dying, as we've gone through slow periods before and things always pick back up again. It's like the mood at a party or something -- you can't force it be lively.

Anyway, I have some ideas for enhancements I may add, but I won't do anything to screw this place up and make it awful. One thing I've seen several people say is that they'd like the self-promotional stuff to be segregated so that people checking in for new posts don't have to wade through it. That's one more thing we'll work on.

I don't think any of us want to make this place over-polite, but the extreme stuff going down here a few years ago was driving a lot of people away. I'd rather have things a little on the boring side than forum members threatening each other, and receiving a half dozen complaints from members every day.

Maybe there's a way we can allow a little more leeway with "controversial" subjects and debates, without letting things degenerate? What do people think?